IKE’S SOLDIERS’ PROGRAM

Made possible by the generous contributions of The Cain Foundation

The mission of Ike’s Soldiers is to honor President Eisenhower’s legacy through the celebration and preservation of World War II Veterans’ stories. By joining this project, You get to play a part in preserving history and honoring the lives that fought for our freedom.

GENERAL SUBMISSIONS

To create a profile for a veteran in the Ike’s Soldier database, please follow the steps below:

Are you a Veteran or Family/Friend?
1) ONLINE OPTION: Fill out the form below.
2) PRINT OPTION: Download the form here.
3) RELEASE FORMS: Sign and submit the Release Forms if needed.

About 16 million Americans served during World War II, but as of Jan 1. 2014, there are roughly one million living WWII veterans. By 2036, there will be no more remaining Veterans. Because of this, we need YOUR help to capture and honor these stories, before they’re gone.

Before President Eisenhower became President in 1953, he was a five-star general in the United States Army, and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe.

Despite his many medals and awards, he preferred the attention to be directed to the troops he led. The Eisenhower Foundation presents Ike’s Soldiers, a project dedicated to honoring the stories and personal accounts of veterans of World War II.

The mission of this program is to provide students, teachers, historians and citizens of the world the opportunity to create a modern-day video archive of Eisenhower’s legacy through the stories of the soldiers he served. Become part of history, by collecting and submitting these stories to the Eisenhower Foundation’s new “Ike’s Soldiers” database. By doing so, we honor the soldiers that led us to one of the biggest victories in world history, and provide future generations with the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts about the experience.

WHO

Veterans who served in the United States military during World War II, are eligible to participate, regardless of branch or rank. As contributors to this national preservation effort, volunteers from around the country interview veterans and collect first person narratives. Any individual or organization may participate. Loved ones of deceased veterans may submit their veteran’s first person narratives.

WHAT

Eisenhower Foundation accepts veterans’ personal narratives in the forms of original, unedited audio- and video recorded interviews, photographs, letters, diaries, journals, military documents, two-dimensional artwork, maps and unpublished memoirs that meet minimum requirements. Eisenhower Foundation also welcomes video and audio recordings of the impact of their loved one’s service, this includes a parent, spouse, sibling or child of a member of the armed forces in World War II.

WHEN

Any day is a good day to share, record or submit a veteran’s story. Begin today! No matter when a veteran shares his or her story, the legal copyright belongs to the veteran, by being part of this process, the veteran or the family member will give Eisenhower Foundation and the Eisenhower Presidential Library permission to utilize the story in digital mediums, IKEducation programs and publicity, displays at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and/or programs associated with either the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum or Eisenhower Foundation programs. It excludes anything that would be sold, making Ike’s Soldiers a safe place to preserve these accounts.

WHERE

Conduct interviews in any quiet, indoor location such as a home, office or conference room.

WHY

The Eisenhower Foundation’s mission is to honor President Eisenhower and his legacy. A large part of President Eisenhower’s life revolved around the military. Additionally, researchers, scholars and educators rely upon these stories collections as a primary source. These oral histories are a rich supplement to historical texts and a valued cultural resource. Veterans’ family members treasure the memories that are permanently preserved at the Library for future generations.

RELEASE & MATERIAL FORMS

FORM 1: Veteran’s Story/Memorabilia Release Form
(Download PDF)

FORM 2: Interviewer’s Release Form
(Download PDF)

FORM 3: Material Identification Sheet
(Download PDF)

MEDIA STANDARDS

Media & Format Standards

Use the highest quality recording equipment available.
The Eisenhower Foundation & Library requires submission of unedited materials in their original format. Record only one interview per media. Do not write on, add labels to or copy protect any CD or DVD. Do not modify previously created content prior to submission.

Please contact info@ikessoldiers.com to confirm acceptability before donating material in a format other than those listed.

Recordings must be at least 30 minutes in length. Always choose a quiet, indoor location, and test device before recording.

Use the following file extensions when creating new content:
● WAV (audio) on CD-R or a USB (thumb/flash) drive Specifications: 96 kHz, 24-bit (suggested) or 44.1 kHz, 16-bit
● MPEG-2/MPG (audio/video) on DVD-R or a USB (thumb/flash) drives
● MPEG-4/MP4 (video) on DVD-R or a USB (thumb/flash) drive
● MOV (video) on DVD-R or a USB thumb/flash drive
Please contact info@ikessoldiers.com to confirm acceptability before donating material in a format other than those listed.

Here you’ll find some examples of letters for correspondence with your veteran. If you are sending an email, text, or handwritten note and don’t know what to say, feel free to use what we’ve provided below, and tweak as needed!

Download Letters and Questions

SUBMISSION PROCESS

SUBMISSION PROCESS

After the interview, thank your Veteran and gather any artifacts they might be willing to share. Send in your unedited interview and and any other digital materials using the submission form on the website.

If you are a student, please be sure to send in an edited version of your interview according to the submission guidelines for students (See Student Guide).

After reading through the requirements and filling out all of the appropriate paperwork, the submission process for your interview & artifacts is fairly simple.

We highly recommend that you include tracking on your package. Mailing address for physical materials:

1. To participate in this project, the Veteran you interview must be a veteran of World War II. They can be a friend, a family member, or even a stranger, as long as they are willing to share their experience and participate in this project.

2. Once you’ve found a Veteran that is willing to participate, arrange to meet up with them and provide context for what is expected of them, ask them to wear comfortable clothes or possible a military jacket to showcase their service. Make sure to plan for a little bit of extra time to fill out the required forms and setup/tear down your filming/lighting equipment, if needed.

3. Pick a location that doesn’t have a lot of background noise and where you won’t be interrupted. We strongly suggest you pick somewhere inside. The most important part of the interview is sound, so we highly recommend using an additional audio recording device (This can be your phone – please see media requirements section for more information).

4. Set a meeting time and place for the interview with your veteran. Write it down to help maintain professionalism and help you both remember what was agreed to!

5. Print out forms beforehand to fill out when you meet with the veteran, or download the form to your computer before hand to fill out digitally, just incase an internet connection is not available. Be sure to test all of your equipment, clear memory cards, and charge batteries.

6. Then begin the interview by asking the Veteran to state their full legal name, the date and their service rank and the dates of their service. Please do not disclose private information such as military serial numbers or Social Security numbers.

7. Conduct your interview respectfully and curiously. Make sure to cover the required questions. Feel free to work off of the suggested interview format (Listed in the Sample Questions), although it is not required. We want authentic and comfortable conversation, so make sure your Veteran is comfortable by listening and being polite. The Veteran can look towards you versus directly into the camera.

8. After the interview, thank your Veteran and gather any artifacts or memorabilia they might be willing to share. Be sure to include in your package the appropriate form so that all items are properly identified.

9. Send in your unedited interview and and any other digital materials using the submission form on the website.

a. If you are a student, please be sure to send in an edited version of your interview according to the submission guidelines for our student program.

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

STAY UP TO DATE
Subscribe to Eisenhower Foundation’s newsletter to receive the latest news about Ike’s Soldiers.